URGENT: Formal request for letter of support
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From: <jon_at_email.protected>
Date: Fri, 17 Jul 2009 12:39:09 +0200 (SAST)
Hi Guys
We're now polling for support to forestall not-so-funny moves to close or
sideline HartRAO. I don't know at what level you can derive such letters
or who would be best placed to do so, hence the blanket coverage.
So formally then ...
Dear Sir
REQUEST FOR A LETTER OF SUPPORT
As part of a submission to our parent funding agency the National Research
Foundation and thereby to the Department of Science and Technology, in my
capacity as the friend of VLBI at the Hartebeethoek Radio Astronomy
Observatory, South Africa, I request a formal letter of support regarding
the possible future operations of the facility, subsequent to the major
failure of our primary 26m radio telescope in October 2008.
Some background to consider:
It seems likely that South Africa will construct an ~80 x 12m antennas,
~1-15 GHz VLBI-capable radio telescope array facility (MeerKAT) in the
Karoo semi-desert, with an estimated first light delivery date slated in
approximately 2013.
Questions on which we seek your opinion:
a) Should we consider repairing the 50 year old HartRAO 26m antenna?
(Estimated cost of repair would be ~1.1M$ and would take several
months. This would include replacement of the failed bearing only,
with a concomitant risk that some other component might fail in the
not too distant future.)
b) In parallel with the above, should we be looking to construct a
replacement antenna of similar size (~25m) or larger (e.g. 32m = 64%
more area, 34m = 85% more area etc.)? Please also comment directly
on your size requirements and how you might see this playing off
against the effective total aperture of MeerKAT for VLBI purposes.
Timescale to operation would probably be several years.
(In particular we request opinion on the usefulness of having more
than one aperture of significant size located in South Africa given
the length of the baselines to those VLBI arrays in which we
participate.)
c) With regard to the siting of such a replacement aperture for VLBI
purposes, would the current Hartebeesthoek site (which is some 800km
NE of the proposed MeerKAT site) be suitable, or would you pursue
establishing a new site at distances of perhaps 50, 200 or 300km (or
whatever you consider relevant) from MeerKAT?
Please address your letters formally to Professor Roy Booth, the Director
of HartRAO, and send them in electronic format (preferably PDF) to the
e-mail address
management_at_hartrao.<!--nospam-->ac.za
preferably before the close of business on Tuesday 21 July 2009. Further
details are available from the undersigned as required.
Thank you in advance
Yours faithfully
Dr Jonathan Quick
HartRAO VLBI Friend
Received on 2009-07-17 20:39:55
Date: Fri, 17 Jul 2009 12:39:09 +0200 (SAST)
Hi Guys
We're now polling for support to forestall not-so-funny moves to close or
sideline HartRAO. I don't know at what level you can derive such letters
or who would be best placed to do so, hence the blanket coverage.
So formally then ...
Dear Sir
REQUEST FOR A LETTER OF SUPPORT
As part of a submission to our parent funding agency the National Research
Foundation and thereby to the Department of Science and Technology, in my
capacity as the friend of VLBI at the Hartebeethoek Radio Astronomy
Observatory, South Africa, I request a formal letter of support regarding
the possible future operations of the facility, subsequent to the major
failure of our primary 26m radio telescope in October 2008.
Some background to consider:
It seems likely that South Africa will construct an ~80 x 12m antennas,
~1-15 GHz VLBI-capable radio telescope array facility (MeerKAT) in the
Karoo semi-desert, with an estimated first light delivery date slated in
approximately 2013.
Questions on which we seek your opinion:
a) Should we consider repairing the 50 year old HartRAO 26m antenna?
(Estimated cost of repair would be ~1.1M$ and would take several
months. This would include replacement of the failed bearing only,
with a concomitant risk that some other component might fail in the
not too distant future.)
b) In parallel with the above, should we be looking to construct a
replacement antenna of similar size (~25m) or larger (e.g. 32m = 64%
more area, 34m = 85% more area etc.)? Please also comment directly
on your size requirements and how you might see this playing off
against the effective total aperture of MeerKAT for VLBI purposes.
Timescale to operation would probably be several years.
(In particular we request opinion on the usefulness of having more
than one aperture of significant size located in South Africa given
the length of the baselines to those VLBI arrays in which we
participate.)
c) With regard to the siting of such a replacement aperture for VLBI
purposes, would the current Hartebeesthoek site (which is some 800km
NE of the proposed MeerKAT site) be suitable, or would you pursue
establishing a new site at distances of perhaps 50, 200 or 300km (or
whatever you consider relevant) from MeerKAT?
Please address your letters formally to Professor Roy Booth, the Director
of HartRAO, and send them in electronic format (preferably PDF) to the
e-mail address
management_at_hartrao.<!--nospam-->ac.za
preferably before the close of business on Tuesday 21 July 2009. Further
details are available from the undersigned as required.
Thank you in advance
Yours faithfully
Dr Jonathan Quick
HartRAO VLBI Friend
Received on 2009-07-17 20:39:55